Well I've finally got the ball rolling on the overdrive trans project. I was thinking 2004R but a 700r4 came up on on EBAY right in my hometown. TCI streetfighter, good to go. I bought it.Started checking out torque converters, found a Pro Torque lock up 2800 stall used, bought it.Bought the Holley TV correcter bracket, installed it. Bought the holley TV bracket, installed it.Bought the Shiftworks changeover kit. Went to the GM dealer today and ordered a dipstick tube, dipstick and seal. Ordered a kit from BTO to change over to cable speedo drive.A couple of questions, my car is currently equipped with a 400T short shaft, can I use the crossmember, or should I buy one from BTO. Also, is it normal to be able to move the insides around in this torque converter? I can shake the "guts" around in my hands. Guess I also need to buy a trans yolk, where? Any help???

H Gerrick

It is normal to hear noise from inside the converter when you shake it around...to some extent, lol. The turbine will move a bit until it is installed into the trans in it's "centered up" position.

Thanks, Steve.

You can use your existing crossmember, but you'll need to mod it. I took the advice of many on this board and bought the BTO crossmember. Bolts right up, no fuss. Got my yoke from BTO while I was at it.

Thanks, Randy

The car went up on a borrowed Kwik Lift last night. Here goes!!!!!!!

Iwould like a detailed step by step on this 700r4 swap for my 73 camaro LT.

A bit of advice; change the front seal before you bolt it in the car. It's a few bucks for the seal and easy to change before you put the tranny in and a major PITA to change later as you have to pull the trans out.

How are you planning on setting up the TV cable, pressure gauge or trial and error?

The folks at BTO are fantastic! I ordered several items from them but got my 2004r locally. I bought their "professional installers kit" that included a pressure guage and they told me once I got the car running to give them a call and talk to one of their service reps -said they didn't care that I didn't get a tranny from them and they would help me "get it right" -nice people and a fantastic level of service! -worth a call to make sure you get your trans up an running correctly.

Hello All, NEW to this FORUM and Thread............I have a 69 Camaro COPO "Clone" that I bought last year. Low Horsepower 454 with TCI Turbo 400 with undetermined convertor. I recently am having many cosmetic details worked on .....as wellas 12 Bolt 3:55 installed. Would like to FREEWAY /Tour this car and am thinking above combo will stink on Gas milage.....If I can firnish my own 700R4 (from what???) interested in knowing TOATL COST INVOLVED for changeover.....what too expect in driving results, etc etc .....Would somebody HERE please let me know if OTHER OLDER threads are available discussing this subject.....Thanks to all.......Chuck Sharin.....Seattle

Yea, I went ahead and ordered the BTO crossmember. Pressure guage too. Chuck, use the search feature here and on the Chevelle side for a ton of great reading which pertains to just the info you are lookin for.

HG

ODCAT

Where is Linden?????? I know where you can get some hands on just the info you're after!!! Hah Hah Hah.!!!! graemlins/clonk.gif

HG.

I fitted the LT1 and 4L60 trans to my subframe today. I had a turbo 350.

I unbolted the trans x member and slid it back until the trans sat down on the pad.

Is there any reason why I can't now just drill new holes in the frame rails and mount that down?

I am pretty sure the 4l60 is the same length as the 700R4.

Yes that should work fine once you get all the holes lined up. So you have to drill through the bottom of the box frame for access then drill the top to mount the crossmember???
HG.

Here's the update. This project has been moving along slowly, I've been fighting a bug for a couple of weeks now. Anyway, between yesterday and today the 400 came down and the 700 went up. Problem is the govenor housing is hitting the tunnel and the trans won't go up high enough. The trans will have to come back down and some tunnel massaging on the pass side will be needed. It's a real PIA to get the trans up and down because the ears don't fit between the headers. I may take one side loose, that way I can fasten the trans properly to the jack. And go straight up with it. With a smallblock and the motor centered there would probaly be enough room to the floorboard, but not so with my BB offset. graemlins/clonk.gif

Didn't catch that this was going behind a BB. You can go pretty much straight in with a SB, once you clear the headers. ;)

Keep us posted on the progress.

Can't believe it's been a April 1st since the 1st post but anyway. The BT overdrive crossmember is up and installed after a group of filing to elongate holes because the trans was off center. Mild tunnel massaging was needed. After the removal of the pass side header the trans would go up and down without trouble. Trans lines are hooked up. Shiftworks kit is installed. One side of the detent plate was bolted, the back side had a solid rivet that needed to be ground off with a dremmel. That meant taking the console apart, more time!!! The lock up wiring is complete. Now waiting on a vac. switch that Steve Oldani helped me out with and I ordered a driveshaft from Dennys driveshaft. This is more of a project that I thought, and I haven't even started the car with the new trans installed yet.
More FUN to follow.
HG

Couple of ?????? Trans, converter, rad, everything...is completely empty of trans fluid. Can I just fill the pan, start the motor and fill it up or is this a problem? I have a pressure guage, what is the quick and narrow of using it to set the TV cable, Any tips? Can any of this be accomplished without a driveshaft installed?

Thanks, HG

With engine off, pour in five quarts and have five or six opened and ready to go. Start the engine and add four or five more quarts then start carefully checking fluid level. It's usally recommended to pour a couple of quarts into the converter before installing it to the trans, but it sounds like it's too late for that now.

As to pressure gauge - what I do on my 200 is to make sure that the TV cable is set so that the pressure is JUST beginning to rise at idle. In other words, if the pressure is at, for instance, 80 at idle with the TV cable disconnected, connect the TV cable and adjust it so that the pressure is at 82 or 83 at idle. The slightest touch of the throttle will cause the pressure to rise. Hope this makes sense.

Also, make sure that the TV cable, as adjusted above, allows you to get to WOT.

PS I'm not sure if a 700 will leak out the tailshaft or not - to be safe I'd have the driveshaft installed. It also gives you the benefit of running the trans through the gears and watching the back wheels spin, assuming you have the car safely up on jackstands.

Thanks for the advice. Guess I'll just continue waiting for the dviveshaft. The car is sitting on a Kwiklift, raised about 2 feet but sitting on the wheels. I borrowed the lift, I think there is acc. made to lift the wheels but I didn't bring them along. Driveshaft ETA about 1.5 weeks. I was told this is the busiest time of the year for driveshaft mnfr. Dennys said I was number 160 on the list, 3 weeks till mnfr.then shipping. Growing impatient!
HG.